What's On in Melbourne For The Australian Open 2016

The World Loves Melbourne loves this time of year in Melbourne when the Australian Open dominates the landscape. We are loving attending several events including the tennis itself; such a festive ambience! Apart from the compelling tennis itself, here are places to watch the tennis as well as eateries with specials. One of the best things to do in Melbourne is to visit the Australian Open; a world class event.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN FESTIVAL

The banks of the iconic Yarra River will come alive with activities and live entertainment day and night at the free, family-friendly Australian Open Festival at Birrarung Marr.

Open every day of Australian Open 2016, get a taste of Melbourne’s famous world-class dining and food vendors, as the pathway to the Australian Open serves up the Grand Slam action and excitement right in the heart of Melbourne.

Lavazza are bringing coffee to the Australian Open as the official coffee partner of the Australian Open! Lavazza are the first food and beverage brand in the world to partner all four Grand Slams globally.

The premium coffee partner is key to the Australian Open's enhanced food and beverage experience, with seven new restaurants and 12 private dining rooms on site as well as world class dining from some of Melbourne's best restaurants at the Australian Open Festival in Birrarung Marr.

The World Loves Melbourne is excited to experience the Lavazza Superbox at the Australian Open as well as the Lavazza Café Bar in Grand Slam Oval.

"Melbourne is, without a doubt, Australia's coffee capital and we are delighted to partner with this premium global brand," Tennis Australia Commercial Director Richard Heaselgrave said today."The vibrant coffee culture is part of Melbourne's DNA, and an intrinsic part of this fantastic city. It's only fitting our fans, players, media and tournament staff have access to a premium product so dedicated to innovation and tennis as a sport. "Partnering with the nation's largest annual sporting event is a perfect opportunity for Lavazza to extend its Australian presence and for us, the chance to share and support our fans' passion…really good coffee."

"The Lavazza brand and its 120 years of history and passion have been a fact of life in Australia for over 30 years," Lavazza Group Vice President Giuseppe Lavazza said. "In September we began managing our business in Australia directly through a subsidiary. This is a market in which we aim to achieve even higher growth.

The Australian Open will represent a special opportunity for our brand to offer the public the ultimate experience of authentic Italian hospitality."A true Italian coffee experience will be served up at more than 30 on-site outlets, a two-storey, custom-built coffee destination café, two coffee carts, corporate hospitality areas, dining spots and restaurants, and a barista dedicated to the Player Café. "We are thrilled to be sharing our coffee with the thousands of visitors at the Australian Open in 2016, and we are particularly looking forward to working closely with our chef ambassadors to create a mouth-watering experience for consumers," said General Manager of Lavazza Australia, Nigel Meakins. The new partnership makes Lavazza the first food and beverage brand in the world to partner all four Grand Slam tournaments – the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.

David Hagger from The World Loves Melbourne with Rafael Nadal at Cosentino event.

PRE-TENNIS MENU AT TAXI KITCHEN

With the 2016 AustralianOpen just around the corner – Federation Square's Taxi Kitchen have announced a delicious food offering for tennis goers.

The two-course menu is $65.00 per person including your choice of entrée, main or dessert and features delectable dishes including sake washed tuna, soy bean pesto & daikon salad alongside Macedon Ranges Szechuan duck with a hot Vietnamese mint salad. For something sweet, it is hard to go past the frozen lemon meringue pie to cool you down on the hot summer days (full menu attached). Please note this menu will be available from January 18 – 31.

THE HEINEKEN DECK @ THE SPORTING GLOBE

The Heineken Deck at Richmond’s leading sporting entertainment destination, The Sporting Globe, will be the unrivalled venue to catch the Australian Open action this summer.

The Sporting Globe’s rooftop 3.75m2 mega screen will be streaming the tournament live from January 18 – 31 showcasing all the action from center court.

The open-air deck is the perfect way to kick back and enjoy a hot summers day or balmy evening with a frosty Heineken or refreshing Pimms jug. Throughout the tournament, The Sporting Globe will have fantastic drink specials that compliment the modern Australian menu featuring delectable ribs, modern sliders and classic parmas to enjoy on the open-air deck while watching a match. On Saturday January 23, The Sporting Globe’s six venues will celebrate Heineken Saturday, the most popular day of the Australian Open.

Tennis fans will be able to sit back and enjoy the matches with live music at each destination and the Heineken teams on hand offering free tastings at the Richmond, Werribee and Geelong locations. The Sporting Globe’s crowd favourite, $1 Wings Special will also be on offer including seven finger-licking flavours.

EVENT DETAILS

The Heineken Deck

• January 18 – January 31, 2016

• The Sporting Globe, 288 Bridge Rd, Richmond VIC 3121

• Catch the 2016 Australian Open action at The Sporting Globe Richmond with fantastic drink specials, food offering & live streaming of all the matches.

• Kick off the biggest day of the Australian Open by celebrating at your local Sporting Globe with live music, Heineken headband and wristband giveaways and tasting carts at selected locations.

• Ticketing: Free entry

Novak Djokovic at Jacobs Creek event attended by The World Loves Melbourne.

SOUTHGATE PRECINCT

One of the most popular spots for pre and post match eating and drinking is Southgate's precinct of restaurants and bars, along the banks of the Yarra River in the heart of the city.Tennis goers can pre-book a tennis dining package at one of Southgate’s many restaurants or cafes then catch a Water Taxi from the lower promenade directly to Rod Laver Arena.Southgate restaurants and bars are celebrating the tennis in a variety of ways:

'The Waterslide Bar Grass Court' Waterslide's wrap around city view balcony will be transformed into ‘The Waterslide Bar Grass Court' with the official AustralianOpen beer Heineken available on tap with $10 pints and $5 pots. Inside, vintage tennis matches will play during daytime trade with selected AustralianOpen matches in the evenings. Eat.Drink.WaterTaxi at BearBrassAvailable for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including return WaterTaxi ticket. Breakfast Package is $30 and Lunch/Dinner Package is $48 and includes a set menu, drink & return WaterTaxi Tickets. Group bookings advised - call 9682 3799 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

WaterTaxi tennis packages from Pure South DiningFeaturing pristine Tasmanian produce from remote farms and fisheries, Pure South Dining has AustralianOpen Tennis & WaterTaxi Dinner packages available, including a glass of premium wine or a premium beer, coffee or tea and pre-booked WaterTaxi tickets from Pure South front door to Rod Laver Arena. Dishes may change a little through the tennis due to fresh produce supply.

Two course dinner tennis-dining-package is $89, with a three course dinner tennis-dining-package for $105.Bookings advised, booking times are from 12.00pm & 5.30pm, guests are welcome earlier. Book by calling +61 3 9699 4600 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Pre-tennis dining menu from The DeckDuring the AustralianOpen, The Deck Restaurant will be serving up fine food and stunning views for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Weekday breakfast dining is available from 8am to 11:30am with lunch and dinner Pre-Tennis packages available:

Lunch packages are available from 11am, with dinner packages available from5pm.

'Ciao! Ciao!' express lunch menu from Tutto BeneMelbourne's newly expanded and refurbished risotteria, Tutto Bene, has two course pre-tennis lunches available with chef's selection shared starters and mains, all served within 45 minutes. The Ciao! Ciao! express lunch is just $44 per person (minimum two people), with vegetarian and gluten free options available.Special dining offers for ticketsholders at La Camera SouthgateSouthgate's family run Italian eatery has free coffee and special Mystery Offers for AustralianOpen ticket holders.

Breakfast offerPresent your Aus Open ticket when dining on the specialty breakfast menu and receive a complementary coffee to start your day right. T&Cs: free coffee only available in conjunction with specialty breakfast menu, excludes basic breakfast items.

Lunch and dinner offerPresent your AustralianOpen ticket when dining for lunch or dinner and receive a complementary Mystery Offer from the La Camera Italian deck of cards. T&Cs: one offer per table, not available Friday/Saturday night, valid upon the purchase of one main meal for lunch/dinner. Further terms and conditions may apply, check in-store for details.10% off the bill at ArtusiThe critically acclaimed modern Italian restaurant adjacent to Hamer Hall and boasting 11 handmade pastas made fresh daily, is offering 10% off your bill when you present your AustralianOpen ticket.Southgate Food CourtThe Southgate Food Court is open late until 9pmSunday – Thursday, and9.30pm on Friday and Saturday for a quick casual breakfast, lunch or dinner on your way to the tennis.

Watch all the matches live at BluetrainMelbourne's meeting place Bluetrain, will play all the matches live on the big screen in their lounge bar.

Water Taxis depart every five minutes from 9am daily until the end of the last match (even those matches that go until well after midnight). Purchase your ticket from the boat or pre-purchase a return Water Taxi ticket via selected Southgate restaurants. Find out more on Melbourne Water Taxis.

Southgate is home to new dessert bar Damon Bradley (open Dec 2015), the critically acclaimed new cocktail bar Waterslide (open May 2015), and new in 2014 Italian restaurant and wine bar ARTUSI and Bavarian bier bar grill Hophaus. A range of boutique retailers including vintage fashion, art deco jewellery, books and stationary can also be found within the precinct.